1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for obtaining tissue samples from the body, and more particularly to a biopsy device which utilizes drilling and aspirating techniques to obtain samples for cytologic and histologic evaluation.
2. Description of Prior Art
When a physician is diagnosing a patient, it is often necessary to take tissue samples from the patient to determine a proper course of treatment. One commonly used method for obtaining tissue samples requires the use of a biopsy device. When choosing such a device, the physician, or medical technician who is using the device, must consider several criteria.
First, it is desirable to obtain a sufficient amount of tissue to enable an accurate analysis by a physician, such as a pathologist. Further, it is desirable for the device to be of simple construction and easy to operate. In addition, it is also desirable that the amount of trauma suffered by the patient as a result of the sampling procedure be minimized.
Several devices have been disclosed which are used to obtain tissue samples. In some of these devices, the technique used for obtaining samples involves either drilling or aspirating.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,085 to Wilson et al. discloses a vascular tissue removing device. The device is a scraping tool having a plurality of helically shaped wires of different lengths and provided with radially projecting chisel pointed tips. The tool is rotated to scrape extended areas of the end or side walls of the branch of the cavity which is to be examined.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,345 to Matar discloses a venous valve snipper. The device contains two parts, a tubular member and a distal head member. These members are connected so that the distal head may be longitudinally projected beyond the tubular member. Upon reaching the location of venous valves, the head is longitudinally projected beyond the tube so that the entire head passes through the valves. The head, which has on its interior two sharp cutting blades, is then retracted to cause to impale the valve leaflets on the blades, and to cause the head member to recombine with the tubular member. An annular cutting member on the tubular member snips off the valve leaflets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,797 to Baylis et al. discloses a rotary biopsy device. The device includes a needle which is projected from a tube to initially puncture the skin of the patient's body. The needle is then rotated to facilitate penetration into the body tissue. The distal end of the needle has a helical cutting blade for capturing a sample and terminates in a conical needle point for initially puncturing the skin and penetrating the body tissue. The tube, which can also cut through the skin because it has sharp chisel pointed blades on its surface, is pushed downward through the skin over the already-inserted needle. The needle thus acts as a guide for the tube. The entire apparatus, including the sample trapped between the tube and needle, is thereafter withdrawn.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,749 to Caselgrandi et al. discloses a syringe for use in hypodermic biopsy, featuring an automatic plunger-return. The device disclosed in this patent is constructed of plastic, glass, or metal and includes a syringe accepting an ordinary hypodermic needle. A cylindrical body is provided with a central cylindrical cavity which is surrounded by an annular cavity. A plunger is located in the central cylindrical cavity in fluid/air-tight fashion and caused to slide. Use of the plunger according to the device draws a small quantity of organic tissue or fluid through the hypodermic needle as a result of the suction created between the plunger and the syringe chamber.
The devices described above serve many useful purposes in the medical field, yet none meets the need of a simplified, easy-to-operate biopsy device which utilizes both drilling and aspirating techniques to retrieve a significant amount of tissue within a short period of time. The present invention meets these above criteria and possesses the additional advantages of being easy to operate and subjecting the patient to only minimal trauma. Moreover, the device according to the present invention ma be utilized to retrieve tissue samples from substantially all regions of the body.